Why?
by TheAnomally
Summary: One of Torchwood's finest is attacked. Was it weevils, a new alien threat, or an old enemy? The main question on everyone's mind is 'why'.
1. One Last Kiss?

By TheAnomally

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and no one.

-One Last Kiss?-

People around Cardiff were getting attacked; men, women, young, and old alike. The victims were beaten, bit, and left for dead. At first the police treated the attacks as random occurrences until the similarities started to stand out. Nine people had gotten attacked and the last one had died from her injuries.

In other places under the city, the members of Torchwood were chasing weevils around that had emerged from the rift. Gwen had gotten back to the Hub first reeking of sewer water and sludge she showered and got ready to go home. As she was leaving, Ianto Jones arrived still looking dapper in his suit and vest. If there was a best dressed Torchwood award it would go to Ianto every year. She could not help notice that he did not seem to have any noticeable dirt on him.

Gwen looked at him astonished. "Were you in the same sewer as I was?"

"Yea dark colors hide blood and human waste quite well." Ianto answered.

He felt very uncomfortable covered in foul dirt and grime; his suit would have to be cleaned and disinfected. The pair said their good nights or rather good mornings and parted ways. Ianto washed up and went to start his other job which was keeping the hub clean. He was monitoring rift activity and for some coffee to brew as the alarms and heavy door rolled open and Capt. Jack Harkness strolled into the room.

Jack caught site of the young Welshman and could not help but smile. "Gwen already left?"

"Yes Sir." He replied. "You are the last one back, seems you owe us all dinner or a round of drinks." He finished.

Jack got closer to Ianto, and was about to playfully admonish him for calling him 'sir', when Ianto caught a whiff of the stench coming off of Jack.

"Ugh, wow you smell awful! Coffee is still brewing; should be ready in a few; I filed all the reports and archived what little we found tonight." He said while covering his nose and mouth. "Ugh…phew…oh. There's nothing immediate for you to get to, so I would highly recommend a shower." He added.

Jack smiled playfully. "Shower huh. Care to join me…"

Ianto was trying not to breathe, but that was impossible; this was just NOT what he needed right now a stinky and rather cheeky Jack. The Capt. loved playing these games with Ianto but; Jack backed off a bit when he noticed Ianto turning a little green around the gills.

Jack lifted up his arm and smelled his great coat; he too almost threw up. "Whoa sorry, guess I just got used to the smell."

Ianto breathed a sigh of relief as Jack moved away, but that was short lived as Jack shed his coat and threw it at Ianto. Ianto gasped and moved out of the way just in time; he shot Jack a look that said I am going to make you pay.

Jack laughed. "Just trying to get you to shower with me; can't blame me for wanting that."

Jack then dashed off before Ianto could just something back at him; preferably something heavy. The two of them had been, well, dating rather regularly. Ianto never considered himself gay, he had girlfriends. There was something about Jack though; maybe it was his 51st century pheromones, his sparkling blue eyes, dashing smile, his last minute heroic acts, or a combo of it all. What ever the reason Ianto could honestly say he was falling in love with Jack. Ianto shook his head, this was no time for heartfelt musings, there was still work to be done, plus there was also the matter of a reeking coat to deal with.

Several minutes later Ianto had finished and was pretty nearly dead on his feet, he poured himself a travel mug of coffee and gathered the things that needed to be dropped off at the dry cleaners. Jack was still in the shower; the immortal man did enjoy taking long hot steamy showers. Ianto left the hub; he walked out the outer door; it was still dark outside, but the sun would soon rise. He shielded his eyes and moved down the wooden walkway. There was so much to do before he could finally get to rest in his flat.

Jack came out of the showers dressed in a white shirt, blue pants, boots, and his trademark braces. The hub was all quiet and the only thing he smelled was the awesome scent of Ianto's fresh brewed coffee. Jack had loved many women and men in his long life time, but there was something about Ianto something that made him special over all the rest. Suddenly his heart started to race, and a sense of panic set in. He looked around the hub and then ran for the exit. Thank fully his eyes laid upon the familiar form of his lover walking away.

Jack rushed out the outer door. "IANTO!"

The Capt. quickly closed the gap between him and the other man; Ianto had barely turned around when he found himself locked in a passionate kiss. Jack's tongue searched Ianto's mouth, his hands touched, caressed, and felt the soft skin on Ianto's face and head. Jack inhaled deeply taking in his lover's fresh scent. Ianto was surprised by the attack, he dropped what he was carrying, but then he soon fell into the ardor of the situation. His hands wrapped around Jack's waist pulling him in closer. The kiss was electrifying for them both, their hearts raced, their flesh twittered and goose pimpled, and their blood became inflamed with the chemicals swirling about in their bodies. Despite Ianto's hold Jack broke off the kiss and stepped back.

"W…what brought that on?" Ianto asked after a moment. "Not that I am complaining." He said.

Jack smiled and then started to walk back to the hub. "I'll see you later; better get to sleep while you can."

Ianto let out a pleased sigh, as he picked up his things, his hands were still shaking. Guess he would be seeing Jack later after all he thought as a smile stretched on his lips.


	2. The Game

-The Game.-

Four sets of eyes watched from higher ground as the well dressed man walked towards the parking lot. They would have never noticed if it hadn't been for the raised voice that had caught their ears. Cardiff was a fun town to play their game in; they had come to this place on a whim. There certainly had found lots to do, and they had seen even more interesting sites. This night had proven to be a complete bore, they had been in the process of packing it in; when their luck seemed to change. Looks like they had found their target, so the night was not a total loss, the game was afoot.


	3. Red Stars

-Red Stars-

Ianto liked the city when it was like this, only a few shops were open and the streets where pretty empty. He parked the car in one place and walked to the shops he needed to go to; he dropped off the dry cleaning, and went to the all night market. Cloth bags in hand, he was walking back to the car when he was grabbed and dragged. He tried to struggle but it was no good; he was about to shout when a sharp hit to his throat stopped all sounds from escaping. His arms where tangled up, as something hard hit him in the stomach. His breath was forced out as something slammed into the side of his head. He tried to inhale as the blows kept coming fast and hard. He saw stars as he was clocked in the head again; it seemed like the blows where coming from all directions. He was hit in the jaw and ribs at the same time, then there was a hit to his kidneys and something grabbed his hair. He was hauled up and then slammed down, he heard something crack and he hoped it was not something of his. The giddiness he felt earlier was gone; replaced by intense pain from every point in his body. He was lifted up and hit in the face several more times; he could barely breathe anymore as more body blow rained down. He felt something warm on his neck right before more intense pain started in anew. It was like being stabbed by several knives in his neck, shoulder, arm, and upper leg. He heard something that sounded like screaming, and he wondered where it was coming from. Finally, he was allowed to drop he lay there on the hard cold ground, ragged breaths coming in hitching gasps. Warmth was leaving his body as he looked up at the sky and right before he passed out; he wondered why the fading stars were red.


	4. Dream?

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you to everyone who commented, and put this story on their faves and alerts. It really means a lot to me and motivates me to keep going with this little story. THANKS again…and I hope you enjoy the story as I type it down. :D

-Dream?—

Jack's work had taken a little longer than he expected, even though Ianto had done most of it for him. He found himself feeling greatly distracted every time his thoughts strayed to a certain good looking Welshman. Hadn't felt like this in such a long time; the first time he fell in love was the only other time he could remember feeling this capricious. He drove the most direct route to Ianto's flat, and all was going well until he hit traffic. It was unusual to have a tie up here of all places; he wondered what it could be. Slowly cars moved, until he could see it was police cars and an ambulance grouped around a single area. A single P.C. was directing traffic forward but that did not stop people from gawking. Centuries had passed and people still were drawn to other people's misery; Jack could only hope that this was not rift associated. He drove through once the cars in front of him got their sick fill of the unknown.

He let himself into Ianto's flat. "Ready or not here is come." With a cheeky grin upon his lips he closed the door behind him. "I've come to cash in my rain check on that shower you owe me."

The place was eerily silent; and it lacked a few key points. The scent of coffee lingered, but it was not fresh.

He draped his great coat over the nearest chair. "Ianto?"

There were no sounds of response; not even the creak of the mattress, the intake of breath, or even a stifled groan.

Jack looked around and concluded that Ianto had not gotten home; it seemed inconceivable that Jack would have beaten him home. Then again Ianto said he had a few errands to complete.

Jack took down his braces, started to unbutton his shirt, and headed for the bed room. "Hmmm guess who's going to get a big surprise when he gets home."

He felt cold and dreadfully alone; there was no sound here, and for some reason he hurt all over. He felt like he went ten rounds with a whole cavalcade of weevils. With great effort he got his eyes to open and all around was an endless stretch of darkness. Then out of the corner of his eye a form appeared silhouetted in a sickly mix of light. The glow was blood red, purple, black, and dull yellow. It only took him mere seconds to recognize that it was Ianto. His breath caught in his throat as he went over to the obviously injured man, but before he could get to him black vaporous hands grabbed the body and hauled it into darkness.

Jack cried out. "IANTO!"

His hands reached into the inkiness but he could not find the other man. He felt like a part of his soul was being ripped away. Jack always acted coy and evasive around Ianto; he did not want to admit that he needed Ianto, he needed him more then he needed any of his other lovers. He felt warm wetness on his pain stricken face as he continued to search this nightmare-scape for Ianto. Ianto was some where in this void hurt, and/or dying and Jack could not save him.

Jack fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around himself; "IANTO!"

Jack inhaled, smelling his lover's scent deeply; wrapped his arms tightly around what he was holding. He awoke with a start, he was lying in the bed Ianto and he shared, and his arms were wrapped around Ianto's pillow in a death grip. The cotton pillow case was moist with Jack's fresh tears.

Jack disengaged himself from the pillow. "Whoa what was that all about?"

The strange dream left him shaken and strangely achy; all around him the room was bright but empty. Jack got out of the bed, got dressed and headed out. In the SUV he called Ianto's number and waited for some sort of explanation.


	5. What?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the craptacular chapter title, it was all my brain mush could come up with. Poor Ianto and all his owies.

-What?—

The police officers had expected to find action today on this beat, but not this early and not like this. Their first call of the morning was about a drunk trying to sleep it off on a side road. The man who called was a surly older gent who waved them to the scene from his flat window. What they found was not a poor sop, or an over indulgent lager-headed kid. The man was well dressed; bloody, and beaten to an unrecognizable shape. There were bite marks on his exposed skin; the latest victim of the wild animals, or thugs causing terror around Cardiff. With the tearing bite marks it was hard to believe that this type of carnage could be made by a person, or people. One of the police personal carefully searched the man for some sort of I.D.; but it was gone along with the man's wallet. The P.C.s quickly roped off the area with crime tape and tried to raise some sort of cover to dissuade gawkers. The medics stabilized the victim as quickly as they could and loaded him into the ambulance, and the vehicle raced off to the nearest hospital.

The doctors were waiting for the trauma patient at St. Helen's hospital; they unloaded him from the ambulance and rushed him into the emergency room. His clothes were cut off, he was hooked up to monitors, his blood was typed and matched, IV's and tubes were inserted, and tests were run. He had internal bleeding, and the trauma to his head was causing his brain to swell slowly. The poor man was in bad shape, and loosing blood faster than they could replenish it. They then wheeled him out and transferred him to the OR for emergency surgery.

Ianto was cold and blind, or maybe it was just dark. He felt terribly exposed, and in unbearable pain.

Strange voice commented. "Is there anything in here that is not bleeding?"

There were strange noises and voices all around him. The icy cold was making it hard to stay a float in this strange ether all around him.

"It's be a miracle of this poor fellow lives; just look at this." Another voice exclaimed. "It's just all burger meat and broken bones." The person continued.

Another wave of pain washed over him and he felt himself start to sink. He did not know if his eyes were open or closed and it really did not matter at this point.

"We're starting to lose him." an urgent voice called out. "BP's dropping, get the paddles ready." The same voice advised.

It would be so simple to just sink away from the strange prattling, and pain. That's what Ianto wanted right now; numbness started to fill his being.

Jack's voice suddenly cut through the cold. "IANTO!"

He felt heat envelop him like embracing arms; Ianto's wanted to reply, or even see if it was really Jack calling to him, but he couldn't. Again Jack called out his name but this time it sounded full of sadness. Was Jack crying? Ianto wanted to comfort Jack to chase away whatever it was making Capt. Harkness sad. Ianto's heart pounded as he willed himself back to the surface of where ever he was.

The surgeons worked carefully to stop the internal bleeding; the man at one point almost faded on them. His heart started to stop but it then suddenly leaped back into a normal strong rhythm.. The staff in the room prayed to what ever was motivating this man to live to keep it up. It was like working to make a Frankenstein's monster with all the stitches they were putting in to him. They did all they could for the moment, only time would tell if this young man would survive. Back in the ER a RN was collecting the man's clothes to give to the PC's waiting down the hall. He bagged everything and was about to put the man's coat in the bag when a cellular ring tone sounded off. The RN patted down the empty outer pockets of the overcoat; he then reached in searching for inner pockets and his gloved hands hit something small and hard. He pulled out a thin, light weight, flat cellular. He thought about letting the constables answer it, but the search had taken a bit.

He hit a button and put the phone to his ear. "'ello"


	6. Who is This?

AUTHORS NOTE: OMG Thank you to everyone who commented, and put this story on their faves and alerts. It really means a lot to me and motivates me to keep going with this little story. THANKS again…and I hope I am not letting you all down with the way this story is going. Comments are always welcome, and they are really helpful. :D

-Who is this?—

Jack nearly dropped his phone when the other end finally picked up; he was about to lay into Ianto for letting it ring for so long.

The voice that spoke did not belong to Ianto; "Who is this?" Jack asked.

Jack's mind whirled picking out theories as to why a stranger has Ianto's phone; Ianto was with another guy, he had lost his phone, or a worse case scenario Ianto had been kidnapped. Jack perished the first idea, once you go Capt. Jack, you never go back. He then ruled out the third idea; kidnappers call you, not the other way around.

Jack asked again. "Who is this, and where is the owner of that phone your on?"

Jack's tone of voice was harsh and the person on the other end of the call seemed to stutter a bit. Jack had not meant to intimidate the caller, but he needed these important question answered fast. Jack listened as the porter as best as he could explain what had happened. The Capt. could feel his heart speed up and his stomach perform complicated flips. It wasn't possible; Ianto had been attacked and was hurt. Jack slammed on the brakes and performed a 180; he hold the porter he'd be at the hospital soon. Jack raced through the streets, as he drove at break neck speeds he called Gwen to tell her what had happened.


	7. Faith, Love, Devotion, and things

AUTHORS NOTE: Comments are always welcome, and they are really helpful. :D

-Faith, Love, Devotion, and thing left Unsaid….until now.—

Jack listened numbly as the doctors explained what Ianto's condition was; the doctor asked if Jack had any questions.

"Where is he?" Was Jack's only inquiry.

Jack was only allowed to see Ianto from a window, Ianto looked so small, so hurt. The younger man was wrapped in bandages, which were white in some places, but stained red in other places. Jack made arrangements for Ianto to get his own room. Jack hugged Gwen when she got to the hospital; she looked disheveled and shocked. Rhys came in shortly after her; he chided her for leaping out of the car while it was still moving. Jack filled them in on Ianto's grave condition; Rhys was worried, and Gwen was a mixed bag. On the out side she work a mask of tears and sadness; on the inside she was worried, but somewhere deep within her she felt a sparkle of joy. The bad thought made itself known in her mental recesses, 'With Ianto out of the way Jack will love me again.' Gwen bit her nails and kept her little idea to herself.

Once moved to his own room, the trio would be able to see Ianto one by one. Rhys declined since truthfully this was more Jack and Gwen's thing. Gwen went first, but she did not say anything. She came back to the waiting room and fell into Jack's arms; he hugged her, and then pulled away from her. Jack took a deep breath, went down the hall, and entered Ianto's room. He pulled a chair up to the bedside and let his hands hover above his lover's form.

"I can't touch you, or even kiss you; they got you wrapped up like a mummy." Jack joked morosely "Just think a little while ago our roles were reversed." He continued. "I never told you out right because you asked me not to, but I could hear you. "He said. "I heard every word while I was in that trance." He finished.

Jack lowered his hands and placed them on the blanket covering the other man.

"I don't often let my feelings show; I tend to run, or hide behind innuendo. You know me the dashing hero, all action all the time, and in more ways then one." He said with a chuckle. "I've been in many relationships, been married, and even had families." He confessed. "I've tried to fight it; knowing that eventually they would all grow old and die." He inhaled. "I loved them all so deeply despite my curse. I don't regret any of the times I've loved, and to this day I remember them all fondly." Jack admitted.

Jack coughed a bit and tried to find the right words to say next.

"I've witnessed the world and other worlds end many times, but I know if you di…" He found it hard to say that word. "if you leave me, my world will truly end. Even right now, I feel my heart breaking." He swallowed hard. "Knowing that you aren't going to give me one of your famous one liners. You always know when and where to say the right thing at the right time to make everything better." He said in a lighter tone.

"I need you to pull through; you can't leave me here all alone." Jack pled his voice cracking with emotion. "I need you more then I'll ever admit." Jack admitted as his fingers found one sliver of the Welshman's skin that was not marred by gauze, bruises, blood, or stitches.

Jack gasped at how cold the other man felt; he wished he could climb into bed, and keep Ianto warm.

"Please don't leave me." Jack sobbed.

Jack pulled his hand away and laid his head on that oasis of uninjured flesh. His tears flowed freely as he let himself honestly cry over his hurt lover. After a moment, Jack lifted his head and wiped at his eyes.

"I just wanted to say that I…" Jack started to say as he looked at Ianto's face.

Jack was surprised to see tears seeping out and staining the gauze on Ianto's cheek. Even more shocking was that the wetness was flowing out of bold beautiful blue eyes that where looking back at him.


	8. Business?

AUTHORS NOTE: Comments are always welcome, and they are really helpful. :D Been writing this on copy paper at work; here's the next installment, ENJOY!

-Business?—

Ianto had woken up for only a moment; Jack could not question him out of respect and due to the fact that Ianto's jaw had been wired shut. Jack's time was up and there was no way he could sweet talk the head nurse into letting him stay. He entertained the idea of flirting with the RN so he could stay longer. The floor nurse was in her early 50's with a stern way of running her floor. She would not be swayed by Jack's charms especially after she over heard Jack as he professed his feelings to another man. In her book that sort of thing was just wrong, as politely as she could she told Jack that his time was up

Walking back to the waiting room Capt. Jack took command; first order to Gwen was for her to review the CCTV footage and catch whoever hurt 'his Ianto'.

Jack knew Ianto's routine; what shops he liked, his preferred dry cleaner, tailor and various others. In the hub, Gwen reviewed the camera footage; it did not take long to get to the footage showing the assault. Gwen called Jack over so they could both watch the event unfold. After the first hit, Ianto was drug out of the camera range, they really did not want to see anymore. The whole thing took several minutes, and the perpetrators dashed out back under the watchful eye of the cameras. The last one out sort of sauntered confidently; he was smoking a cigarette as if totally satisfied with what he had done. Jack clenched and unclenched his jaw as he watched this person; his anger obviously climbing. Gwen knew what to do; she captured the best facial images of the four men. The CCTV footage was very grainy, so she cleaned the images up the best she could. The image program was developed and tweaked by Tosh and it was very sophisticated. Gwen then ran the images of the four men against the facial recognition database so they could all be identified. It did not take long before the four men were matched with their mug shots and had names. Gwen now in cop mode took their findings to the local police; she did not wait for Jack order. As much as Jack hated to admit, this was not something for Torchwood to handle, as much as he wanted to take the reins. He was scared and yet exhilarated, by the thoughts of getting to the perps first and throwing them in the cell with the weevils. In his office, Jack could do nothing more than wait; he poured himself a stiff drink. He thought about doing some leg work of his own, but he know if he found these guys first he would kill them.


	9. Living?

AUTHORS NOTE: Comments are always welcome, and they are really helpful. :D Been writing this on copy paper at work; here's the next installment, ENJOY!

-Living?—

Several weeks passed two of the four suspects had been caught; their leader and another man were still in the wind. A few days later the leader and the last guy were caught. A conviction seemed to be not forth coming, and neither of the men wanted to make any deals. The courts were on shaky grounds when it came to making a conviction since the most damning evidence had been collected by Torchwood. The Cardiff justice system always seemed to be locking horns with Torchwood. It also did not help that the low life's had gotten their scummy friends to supply them with alibis. Jack was growing increasingly frustrated with the whole ordeal; nothing Gwen said to him was calming. They told Ianto only certain parts of what was going on with the police and the prosecutors.

Ianto's recovery was progressing slightly faster then expected, he had only one set back. His jaw had been set wrong, so it had to be re-broken, reset, and re-wired shut. Despite being unstitched, and de-casted he still could not speak clearly for a few more weeks. Ianto had gotten a small dry board from one of the physical therapists who was crushing on him, she thought he was drop dead gorgeous. As he got better, he could not help notice Gwen's slight looks of disappointment, especially after Jack suggested he convalesce at the hub. Gwen made an excuse to leave the room, leaving Jack and Ianto alone together. This was Jack's favorite time, any place, time alone with Ianto.

Jack wanted to keep a close eye in Ianto, so he suggestively stated, "I've always been told that I have a healing touch, among other appealing qualities."

Ianto could only blush as he lay on his starched hospital sheets; he wrote down "Behave" on the dry board and showed it to Jack.

Jack shook his head and purred, "No can do. You're gorgeous, injured, and in bed; that is prime ingredients for mischief making."

Jack moved in closer and carefully climbed into the bed with Ianto; he took the dry erase board from the other mans hand and put it aside. As Jack got comfortable at his side, Ianto wondered for the zillionth time whether all 51st century people had super mega sized libidos.

Jack walked his fingers up Ianto's chest as he purred, "Now let's see if I really do have magic hands."

Jack's sapphire eyes where locked on Ianto's, as he leaned in to kiss those delicious lips. He loved the way Ianto still got nervous around Jack's advances. He knew that Ianto's exterior was reserved and proper, but inside Ianto was adventurous and dirty minded. Jack inhaled the other man's scent, his eyes drank in Ianto, and he went in for a taste. He placed small pecks on Ianto's forehead, eyelids, and finally on his lips.

Ianto's eyes flicked from Jack's to the door a couple of times; Gwen or someone else could stroll through the door at anytime. Jack's pheromones made his head swim; the warmth of the other man was totally welcome. He had longed for Jack's touch, his smile, and his kisses. Ianto sighed as Jack placed butterfly kisses on his bruised face, and then finally on his lips.

Even though there was no tonsil hockey, the kiss was long and passionate. Both men were enjoying each other's close company, when Gwen walked through the door followed by the floor nurse.

"GEEZ Jack, can't you control yourself even for a minute?" she chided.

The floor nurse could only look at the two men with a stony tight lipped expression.

Ianto had been allowed to go home, but going back to work at first was out of the question. All the broken bones he suffered were still tender and knitting slowly; he took his pain meds sparingly. Ianto at first had kept busy with follow up doctor, and physical therapy sessions. He also supervised as the locks at his flat where changed, he even thought about getting a security system installed. He really wanted to return to work; the archives and work would be a welcome distraction, and secretly the security system in the hub as well as Myfanwy was very appealing. Jack and Gwen, well mostly Jack, had driven him crazy while trying to take care of him at first, in between rift emergencies of course.

Ianto understandably was a bit jumpy, especially when he was alone. Voices just beyond his door, a creak of the floor, the flat settling all caused a nervous response in him. Sleep came in short fragments between painful nightmares where he was beaten over and over. The people who did this to him were out on the street somewhere; despite Jack and Gwen's interference, he had kept abreast of what was going on with his case. They were free, and here he was locking himself up and in. He mused at the fact he took on alien mishaps armed only with a stun gun all the time, and succeeded with out getting too banged up. One time walking alone on a beautiful morning and his new found confidence was shattered, funny how life revolved at times.

"Get over yourself Jones, Ianto Jones, you can pull yourself together." He mumbled to his reflection on sleepless night after nights. "_This is not how living should be_." He thought as he turned off the light.

He needed to get better mentally, stop acting like a victim, so he could put this ordeal in perspective and perhaps be more useful in bringing his attackers to justice. He got a new diary and filled in the pages with what he could remember about the morning he was attacked. He wrote down details as they came back to him; perhaps it would be useful in time.


	10. Hub sweet Hub

AUTHORS NOTE: ENJOY!

-Hub sweet Hub.—

Ianto got to the hub first thing in the morning; the doctors had finally OK'd his return to work. He still had mindful about his damaged ribs, leg, arm, jaw and shoulder. Jack put him on light duty, until he was fully healed. Entering in though the cog entrance, he wasn't surprised that the hub was silent and empty. Attracted by the flashing LED lights Myfanwy glided over-head giving out a menacing shriek. Ianto put down his things at his work station and pulled out the dark chocolate bar for the guard pterodactyl. He then limped over to coffee machine and readied it to brew. He then sat for a minute monitoring the computers until his aches subsided

Jack had been sleeping in his office when the scent of awesome coffee pulled him from his fitful slumber. He walked down from his office, and noticed Ianto at his terminal. Ianto looking very gorgeous in his pristine suit was typing away at the keyboard.

Jack spoke as he came up behind Ianto, "I didn't think you'd be in this early."

Ianto jumped out of his skin, and winced considerably. His jump had sent a good amount of pain through his ribs, and shoulder. Jack had forgotten about coming up behind the other man.

Jack went to Ianto's side. "Sorry, Sorry I forgot."

Ianto waved him off, and have him and awkward thumbs up.

"It's OK, I'm still a bit jumpy; PTSD, or something like that. " Ianto typed on the computer.

He could talk through his wired mouth, but he chose not to since it was not very pretty for the eyes or ears.

To let Jack know he was OK, Ianto slowly rose, poured himself and Jack some coffee. Jack took the mug with both hands and inhaled the superb scent; he closed his eyes and took his first sip. It was rich, flavorful, and strong just like someone he knew. He held the coffee in his mouth letting it rest delightfully on his tongue. When he finally swallowed it and opened his eyes, Ianto was looking at him with a confident smile on his lips.

Ianto took his coffee and made his way to the archives before Jack could pull himself out of his coffee induced stupor. Ianto did not want to drink in front of the others; it was bad enough seeing them wince at his deep bruises. His pride would not allow them to see him suck liquids through his teeth. Tucking a napkin into his collar; he slowly enjoyed his first coffee of the day.

The activity at the hub came in waves; there were rift spikes, weevils to round up, and miscellaneous alien scraps. Jack and Gwen were in and out all day; Ianto spent his day adding old reports to the archives, monitoring the computers, and directing Jack and Gwen in the field. During the afternoon he had found the CCTV footage of his attack; it was hidden under a series of passwords. He watched the footage getting a little frustrated.

_"They're just trying to protect me."_ He thought. _"I'm not fragile, well sort of." _He reasoned as he remembered his current state. _"Blast it, I've faced weevils armed only with a piece of wood, made friends with a pterodactyl by giving it chocolate, survived almost getting bled by cannibals, faced a rogue time agent, survived having a building collapse on me, and other things." _He remembered.

He had evolved from the mild mannered office manager, to a hardened Torchwood agent. Not that he had ever really been mild mannered; not after working in Torchwood One. As if sensing his saddening mood; Myfanwy landed nearby and walked over with its' wings folded. The flying dinosaur chirped at Ianto and nudged him; it licked the soft cast on his arm and then stuck its' nose into his coat trying to find the last chocolate treat.

"You're right no point dwelling on the depressing, especially when there is chocolate to eat." He said.

The two shared the last chocolate bar, it was then a sensor sounded off alerting him to the fact a someone had entered the tourist office. Ianto made his way up to the upper levels that served as Torchwoods cover. The tourist office was small and consisted of a desk, and walls lined with various pamphlets and post cards. The people that had come in were a group of pensioners from the States; at first they had been a bit upset that they had to wait until they saw the state of Ianto, then they were nothing but sympathetic. Each had their own tale about getting assaulted by others at one time of another. Then they got down to the reason why they were there, they wanted some info about tours around Cardiff. Ianto gave them some leads on boat and bus tours around the city; they left and only a few more people came in after that. The office was a good place to transcribe written field reports onto the computer he decided to stay in and work a little more.

Soon enough Jack and Gwen returned, they looked haggard and tired; seems like a blowfish gave them both a run for their money.

"I took the liberty of ordering us some dinner of us; pizzas should be here in a few minutes." He wrote on a piece of paper.

Jack read the note and smiled; on the drive back to the hub he was thinking about pizza and how good and hot it would be after their romp across the spillways.

It was uncanny how at times Ianto could hone in on things like that. "Ahh brains, body, looks, and …" Jack started.

"Behave, Sir" Ianto scribbled and held up for Jack to read.

Jack put on a come hither smile and shook his head. "Nope, can't do it."

Gwen only let out a 'pffft' noise as she let herself into the hub entrance. Pizza did sound good, but she was going to suggest that she and Jack go out for a bite alone. She hit the button so the secret hub door shut and the tourist office door unlocked.

"What's wrong with her?" Ianto wrote.

Jack shrugged. "Blowfish got the drop on her; had to play the dashing hero."

Ianto nodded but he did not truly believe that explanation; she was acting like he had treaded on her idea or something.

"I'll wait up here for the pizzas; see you in a bit." He wrote.

Jack nodded and leaned over the desk and tried to kiss Ianto; the Welshman smiled and tapped his sign. Jack grabbed the dry board and tossed it behind Ianto. Jack then caught Ianto's lips with his own. The kiss was sweet and very welcome, but the Welshman could not help worry that it was a sympathy affection. He also could not help but worry that someone was going to walk through the tourist door at any minute; he had not had a chance to hit the button again.

Jack lay his hands on Ianto's face and broke the kiss for a second. "It's not, and let someone walk in, they'll enjoy the show."

The Captain then went back to kissing the other man as soft and sweetly as he could. The taste of the other man coupled with metal was an interesting combination. Ianto placed his hands on Jack's face and neck drawing him in closer, as best he could with a desk in between them. They were so into each other that they did not hear the door open until a clicking noise went off and pair of voices sounded off.

"WOOOOOOOO…" a pair of ladies called out from the doorway.

Both men pulled away from each other, and Ianto felt his face heat up. Jack looked at both women and put on his best playboy smile. One of the girls was tall, slim, with red hair and freckles. The other was a hair shorter with dark brown skin, and black hair.

"Don't let us interrupt." The redhead said.

Her partner bumped her hip a bit. "Looks like we found where the love in is."

The pair walked into the office and closed the door behind them; they could not help but grin at the men. The smiling man, in the dashing coat seemed to enjoy being caught, while the other one, in the fine suit seemed a bit embarrassed, and a little disappointed.

"Oh they are adorable." The red head commented.

The other girl nodded. "Yea a real cute couple."

Jack's face soured slightly, his hand dropped heavily onto Ianto's shoulder, and he pushed off the desk. Where the hand hit was the place where damaged muscles and tendons where. Ianto could not hide the pain that it caused; he winced noticeably.

Jack apologized. "Oh Ianto, sorry, you have your brace right?"

Ianto waved Jack off and nodded. He hated to wear it but it did help to take the weight off his damaged shoulder.

Jack then stepped back. "I should get going, see you in a bit."

The two women wondered at the downturn of the atmosphere in the room. "You don't have to go; really it's OK." They said nearly together.

They then held up their hands; both wore a wedding band on their finger's.

"We came in to find romantic places around the city." The redhead said.

The other put her arm around her. "Yea we're on our honeymoon."

Jack smiled and congratulated them on their nuptials; he then breezed passed them and left the office, he would have to enter the hub in another way. The women looked back at Ianto who just shrugged apologetically. He winced as he irritated his shoulder more; the ladies helped him with his brace. They felt real bad, but Jack always seemed to have a mood swing when the word couple was tossed about. Ianto gave the women a list a romantic areas, classic movie theatres, and restaurants. He gave the ladies a smile and saw them out; before they left they sent the picture they took of the kiss. It was almost closing time, and the pizzas were due to arrive at any moment.


	11. The Scent is the Thing

AUTHORS NOTE: Been moved to a different department at work…this equals less free time to scribble down my ideas. Here is the next installment…ENJOY!

-The scent is the thing.—

One of the best things about the hunt was the thrill of dolling out pain; it was like they were wielding a supreme power over another person. They felt like gods, but they were not gods far from it. They thought themselves as soldiers, or even cooler mercenaries. It made them feel even more supreme that the authorities hauled them in, but had to let them go. The kill though electrify, was short lived, but prey left alive could be terrorized later. Some of the prey would try to get back their lives by falling back into their daily habits. They already knew most of their prey's routines, so shadowing them was easy. They would get close, or get them alone in a shop, and make loud noises just to make the prey jump. These people had been forever marked by the pack, their physical stain would fade in time, but the mental one would last forever. The hunted did not even know who it was messing with them, but their fear was evident. It filled the pack with glee to follow up on their wounded prey and play with them more.

The pack now walked down the wooded dock, they parted down the middle to let two women by who were walking arm and arm. The ladies were talking about the two guys in side who looked so adorable together. The pack leader watched them pass, and thought they would make perfect playthings for later. One of the guys opened the door to the office, and the leader stalked in first. The rest followed suit like hyenas working to surround an injured pig. Their toy was there, the only one there, this was going to be magically delicious.

Ianto heard the door open and he retrieved his dry board from where Jack had tossed it.

"We're about to close." Ianto wrote on it and looked at the four guys who had slunk in.

These guys did not look like general tourists that came through on a daily basis, something about the way they came in seemed unusual. Ianto could not shake the feeling that these men were some how familiar. He was shaken out of his thoughts as a loud noise caused him to jump; one of the men had knocked over a rack of pamphlets.

"Sorry gov." the youth said with a cocky smile.

No one made any move to pick up the mess; all four of the youths snickered rudely under their breaths. The sharp noise had shaken him but now Ianto just blinked mildly irritated. The one Ianto had noted as the leader got up close to the desk, and leaned over into Ianto's personal space.

The man had a fake smile plastered on his lips. "'e's a bit clumsy, you undastand. Like a bull inna china shop like."

The guy had breath like a decaying skunk; Ianto backed away from the man. Ianto was pretty sure that the guy's breath had just singed off his eyebrows.

The guy turned around and called out to the three laughing guys. "Oi clean it up you clumsy lummox, all o' you."

There was a grumble but the three underlings complied; randomly picking up pamphlets and putting them into the brackets Most of the brochures had been crumpled, torn, bent, and crammed back into the wrong slots.

He was not getting the reaction he wanted, so far the man in the immaculate suit only jumped once, he seemed more irritated than afraid, and the rest of his emotions seemed to be hidden under a stony poker face. It was very strange that some glorified tour guide was being so uncooperative. The leader turned back around and started heading for the gap that lead behind the desk, perhaps it was time for another lesson. He dragged his hands along the desk top causing the surface contents to be pushed onto the floor.

Ianto just wanted these guys out, in one moment the three had caused disorder, and now they just seemed to be lingering. There was something else a scent, something that was causing him to remember the beating in full immersed feeling. Ianto's eyes widened as his brain caught up with his olfactory input. These were the ones who had assaulted him and now they were back. Ianto's expression did not change, but his heart was racing and his legs were shaking. He watched as the leader, Ianto had dubbed him 'death breath', rounded the desk pushing everything to the floor. This was an attempt at intimidation, and it was working. The smell was taking Ianto's mind back to that morning; it was stirring up memories of everything horrible. He felt a light sweat break out on his skin as the guy drew nearer.

The rest of the pack lined up in a hap-hazard formation behind the leader as he made his move. They drew in close making sure that if the man tried to run he would shortly be captured. The leader really did enjoy his work, but he had never had to put in such an effort. So many things about this dapper fellow worked to tick him off, and he was going to beat on the man until he felt happy. He cracked his knuckles, and placed both hands on either side of the opening that led behind the desk.

"Guess we're both gonna be havin' an off day." He said with a wicked smile.

No stun gun, no gun, and his battered body would not do well in a fight; Ianto was between a rock and a hard place. Ianto backed away as far as he could; which wasn't too much further. Ianto wouldn't look away, sure they may kick the stuffing out of him, but he would not give them the satisfaction of showing fear. Cool blue eyes locked defiantly on the leader's carnal dark brown ones. Ianto steeled himself and then lunged forward with his good shoulder; he would not go down with out a fight. His attempt at a tackle was not affective due to his injuries; the leader easily caught him by his lapels.

"Tut tut, now you don't want to be going and hurtin' yourself." The leader clucked.

Ianto was nearly hauled off his feet by his suit jacket; the leaders rank breath working to make him very nauseous.

Jack was sitting at his desk looking over the report he was writing; he had been stuck on everything beyond his name. Writing these paperwork things was just not in his repertoire; he was many things, lover, fighter, leader, but pencil pusher was just not him. Many days he wished he could be more versed like Ianto, now there was a guy who could adapt. He could write reports, make a killer cup of exquisite coffee, go into the field, and take on alien attackers. Jack could not concentrate, suddenly he felt anxious, he leaned back in his chair and looked around. Why was he feeling so nervous?

Ianto was waiting to be brought a little closer to the leader, so that he could head butt the thug.

Just then the tourist door opened and the pizza delivery guy walked in; the last thing the pack needed or wanted was witnesses.

"There you go Gov., you got to be more careful." The leader said putting Ianto down.

The thug harshly brushed and smoothed Ianto's suit; each forceful touch was meant to cause pain. The pack then regrouped and skulked out of the office; this would defiantly be continued later. The leader was irked that they glamour boy had silently stood up to him and his boys.

Ianto had never been so glad to see the pizza; he exhaled deeply and leaned on the counter heavily. This evening was proving to be more stressful then any day full of rift activity. Ianto locked up the office and took the pizzas down into the hub; a very ravenous Gwen and Jack where waiting. While the pair ate; Ianto collected the office video footage and waited for Gwen and Jack to finish eating before he let them know what had happened. Gwen was shocked and immediately collected the footage from Ianto; she would hand it over to the police first thing tomorrow morning. Jack of course was upset, but Ianto would not let him take the law into his own hands. Torchwood was above the law in every sense, but in Ianto's opinion what happened to him had nothing to do with Torchwood. Jack did not see it that way and was chomping at the bit to find those guys and let them meet a weevil up close and personal. A look from Ianto pulled the reins on Jack's revenge ideas; Jack wondered when he had become so whipped.


	12. No Justice

AUTHORS NOTE: Took a day off from work to have a bohemian type day of writing and drinking…so here is the next chapter. :D Please enjoy…and in advance I apologise for the literary rambling.

-No Justice. —

Even with the new evidence, the most the judge would charge the thugs was a petty sentence with no jail time and with community. The defense made a mockery of Ianto's scent evidence, despite the prosecutor's science evidence linking scent with strong memories. Ianto was the only victim to come forward to accuse these men formally; all the other injured parties were too scared, in denial, or they just wanted to put it all behind them. Gwen walked in silence, she was mad that the judge had been such an old prat. No doubt he was just biding his time handing out lenient sentences until he could draw his pension. Jack was upset, his jaw clenched and unclenched as he walked out of the halls of justice. Ianto was understandably depressed, he felt with the new footage, and what happened at the tourist office, that perhaps there was more than a snowballs chance in Hades. He walked along quietly, but at least his head was held high.

On the court steps, Jack put his arm around Ianto. "My offer still stands." He said

Ianto shook his head; those types of actions were still over the line as far as he was concerned. He did not even want to consider what Jack was capable of when it came to the torture, and vigilante arts. Right now he just wanted to get away from all this rubbish, go back to the hub, and head back to auditing the archives. He was thinking about how best to streamline and catalog the older sections of the annals when Jack suddenly pulled him to a stop. Ianto blinked wondering why they had all suddenly stopped, when he saw the four youths had blocked their path and even drawn closer to them. Gwen looked sharply at them no doubt resisting the urge to crack one of them in the head; Jack had the exact same look on his face. Gwen and Jack had positioned themselves in front of Ianto; block the youths from him.

"We just wanted to say we was sorry; you know, no 'ard feeln's and all right?" the leader said.

The other three snickered, and the leader was anything but sincere. There was a threatening predatory glint in his eyes that spoke untold volumes. Ianto sighed and parted the protective wall of Gwen and Jack; he looked the thugs in the eyes and moved passed them. It was his own silent retort that let not only the hooligans know but also Jack and Gwen know that he was not scared, nor was he weak. He wasn't going to give them any more of his fear, nor was he going to give them any reaction they could feed from. Jack and Gwen looked at each other and then followed Ianto's example; both were surprised and proud of their co-workers show of strength.


	13. Moving On?

AUTHORS NOTE: Another snow day….more writing. YIPEEE!

-Moving On?—

The prosecutor could not build an appeal or even convince the courts for a new trial, especially with no new evidence. The only thing that would work to put these punks in prison would be a full confession by one or all of them. Ianto chose to bide his time; thugs like that were creatures of habit, and eventually they would make a costly mistake. It was time to file this event into his mental archives, and work towards moving on with his life. His body was 95% healed, and the last thing he had to go through was to get the wire in his jaw taken out. He would not let Jack go with him to the surgeon; luckily there was no argument since there was an emergency on the seashore. When the procedure was done; Ianto nestled himself back into the quiet calm of the Hub archives. Gwen and Jack were still out on the mission; Ianto ordered their favorites for lunch and busied himself with work.

After about forty-five minutes, the LED light started to flash and the heavy cog rolled open.

Gwen's shout echoed in the Hub. "For crying out loud Jack; you used me for bait!"

"It wasn't like that, not really, the little buggers liked you better than me. Think of it as more of a galactic compliment." Jack offered.

As he spoke to her back his eye panned down, and a devilish grin broke out on his movie star like face.

Gwen stopped and turned on the swaggering Captain. "A compliment? A COMPLIMENT! They did not want to date me, or make me their Queen…." She said slowly and furiously. "…they wanted to dissolve me, and drink me like a smoothie!"

"It would have never gotten that far, I had a plan, sort of." Jack said with a smile. "Plus, actually they didn't want to eat you…" He started.

Gwen really started in on him, cutting him off mid-rationalization. Her voice got louder and louder. The aliens from the rift; where harmless grazers; they ate plants, and had decided to feast on the cotton of Gwen's outfit. Jack had been semi-safe thanks to his mostly wool attire.

Drawn from up from the archives by the screaming, Ianto was about to tell them that lunch was in the conference room. Seeing Gwen's current predicament he wisely kept silent, but his deep blush spoke volumes. Gwen was currently, some how, looming over the taller Jack shouting at him, with mostly profanities. What was making Ianto blush was that Gwen's backside was currently very exposed, she had refused Jack's great coat because she was so enraged. Her short leather coat was zipped up all the way to her neck since her shirt and bra were totally gone. Jack had gotten a treat on the beach; a half naked panic stricken Gwen. Currently the magic of that moment was gone now that she was screaming at him while pointing a long fingernail dangerously close to his eye. Ianto left the main room while Gwen was still tearing Jack a new one; he returned shortly carrying a towel. The livid Welsh woman was getting louder and more menacing, so Ianto decided to finally speak up.

"Ahem." Ianto cleared his throat.

Swift as a cobra Gwen turned her anger on the only other male in the room. "What do you want!"

"I took the liberty of ordering lunch; it's in the conference room." Ianto said as he held out the towel to Gwen.

Gwen made a growling noise in her throat, she wanted to finish yelling at Jack, but she was also starving.

She turned on Jack again. "This is FAR from over Harkness!"

With that said, she rudely snatched the offered towel from Ianto and stalked off to change into her spare clothes. Jack stared at her rear as she walked away; a crooked grin broke out on his lips.

"Careful sir, I honestly believe she will shoot you if she catches you staring like that." Ianto commented wryly.

Jack smiled bigger and moved towards Ianto. "I bet she would, and if she did, would you give me the kiss of life?"

Jack pulled up close to Ianto, his lips very close to the Welshman's lips.

"Wouldn't have to Sir, you would come back to life." Ianto answered. "Plus I'd be too busy cleaning up the mess your blood would make." He continued dryly.

Ianto backed up to leave when Jack's hands gently caught him. "How I've missed those beautiful Welsh vowels."

Jack pulled Ianto in close and kissed him deeply; he truly had missed the sound of Ianto's voice. His kiss became more passionate as he enjoyed the taste of the other mans mouth, it was an intoxicating flavor. Jack wanted to take the other man right then and there in the center of the Hub; he wanted to have Ianto here there and everywhere. Jack's body tingled with the thought of all the available office surfaces he and Ianto could use for their recreations.

Ianto broke the kiss off; his breathing was slightly accelerated, he licked his lips not once but a couple of times. He seemed to be at a loss for words; but he never broke eye contact with Jack. His mind was a veritable whirlwind of emotion and excitement.

"Ah uh…remember sir, some fetishes should be kept to yourself." Ianto stammered finding a little of his voice.

Jack gave Ianto a confused look, his own mind was in a lustful tizzy. Had he had a slip of the tongue and verbalized his wish to bend Ianto over all the office surfaces? He looked at Ianto; his hands still lay on Ianto's neck and face. Jack was about to inquire about the dry yet odd snark, but both men quickly separated as a loud consistent noise rang out through the H.Q.

Gwen came stomping across the metal walkways; her new clothes, and shower had done nothing to brighten her foul mood. Seeing tail end of Jack and Ianto's snog fest had only served to darken her mood.

Gwen stalked up to Jack. "You owe me a new set of clothes, and a new coat!" Before Jack could reply she continued. "The coat will be an apology from you to me for using me once again in one of your little schemes!"

With that ordered she turned on her heel and closed herself off in the conference room..

Jack watched her slam the door behind her; the woman's fire turned him on, but her mightier then thou attitude made him want to throw her out of Torchwood on her head.

"Better do what she says Jack, or you'll never hear the end of it." Ianto advised.

Jack nodded; it was the right thing to do. "I know, but she never was in any real danger."

Ianto nodded sympathetically, Gwen was just worked up and in the moment. He knew, that she knew, Jack would never put any of them in real danger. Seems like lunch for Jack and Ianto would have to wait since Gwen locked herself in the conference room with their food; Jack sighed and went to his office to start his paperwork, Ianto returned to the archives.


	14. Alpha?

-Alpha.—

The alpha paced back and forth, back and forth. He was upset by everything that had transpired during the last several weeks, the drawn out police investigations; the time wasted in court, and having to face his failure. He had been hunting successfully in London for too long to have some poncey dressed poof tap dance on his last nerve. The weakling bastard had been lucky enough to live after their first run in, fortunate the second time around, but there would be positive out come the third time they met. The pack leader growled at his assembled group; he had taken out his deep displeasure on some low ranking members. Blood and gore still glistened on his hands, face, and clothes. This rag tag collection of weaklings barely knew how to truly stalk, torment, and then go in for the kill.

He remembered the good old days, hunting with a true pack. Back then there were never any legal problems, or interference. When he had come of age, most of the old horde had died or were dying off. The pack was dwindling and there was no one to fight for the alpha position. The remaining pair had moved to Cardiff, and now he worked to raise a new pack. He looked out over the assembled group; he knew none of these wastes of flesh would ever fight him for leadership. He would always be the alpha of this group; even though he really hated them all. He was so much better then all of them; they were just common trash. The only good thing about them was that they did what they were told, and they feared him.

He grumbled at them. "We'll start 'unting 'morrow night."

A twitter of excitement echoed through the group; the alpha waved them away, and they dispersed. He was happy to see them go; perhaps he would soon hunt them all down for fun. Right now his mind was worked up; he needed to sleep, but first he needed a stress reliever.


	15. Little Fun?

AUTHORS NOTE: Snow, snow, snow, and more snow. Soon I'll have to exit my house through the chimney. Thanks to everyone who favorited this story as well as put it on their alert lists.

-Little fun?—

There had been no alarms in hours, Jack had finished his paper work, Gwen was still fuming, and Ianto was scanning the readings for any sign of minor rift spikes.

Jack swaggered out of his office. "Ianto, I need to test to see if your back to being field ready."

"Hmmm is that what they are calling it now?" Gwen grumbled and stood up and grabbed her stuff. "I'm going home; I'll have my mobile in case an emergency arrives." She announced and then abruptly left.

Two hours later Ianto stood on the firing range; his gun held in his outstretched hand. Targets made to look like various hostile alien hung on the range at varying distances. Several of the marks had fresh smoking holes in them; Ianto was an above average shot.

Jack placed himself as close as he could to Ianto's back. "Oh very hot, you passed your physical test with flying colors."

Jack ran his hands over Ianto's shoulders and upper arms; the physical work out had been unconventional, but fun and strenuous. Jack was still flying high on the hormones and pleasurable endorphins; thinking about the things Ianto had done made his toes curl in his boots. .

Jack snuggled in closer pressing himself flush against the other man. "Last but not least ammo and accuracy, so far so good, but not a pass yet."

"Amusing Sir," Ianto remarked his face turning deep crimson. "You do realize how hard it will be for me to shoot properly with you practically climbing on my back?" Ianto remarked instantly lamenting his choice of words.

Jack's eyes glistened with mischievously. "Mmmm pretty hard I bet, and hope."

Ianto felt himself become further aroused; everything about Jack enamored him. It was hard to ignore the warm breath on his ears; as well as the swirling scent of pheromones, and the feel of Jack's hands on his upper arms. Still he could not help but blush more as Jack immediately picked up his fumbled innuendo.

Jack chuckled. "Mmmm you've got a dirtier mind than me, yet you still blush at times like this, I love it." He then continued. "Consider this a test of how you handle yourself with close contact obstructions."

Ianto could not help but roll his eyes at that explanation; in the field hindrances were the norm. If you were unlucky enough to become surrounded by hostiles; shooting your way out of it had a low outcome of success. Jack had tried it on many occasions and had ended up with his throat torn out, or with other serious injuries.

"Is that what you're calling this now?" He snarked. "As I remember, I was quite successful in handling not only your dead weight, but also several very belligerent aliens. If I remember correctly they wanted to eat you at some ceremonial feast." Ianto then continued before Jack could interrupt. "Then there was that time you were hallucinating on that alien toxin, I had to carry you across the park while subduing those little alien bugs that wanted to eat you, or mate with you, I forget which one." He said.

Capt. Jack Harkness was many things; he was dashing, heroic, handsome, old, funny, smart, and carefree; he was also not many things, and light in weight was one of them.

"Planning on jumping on our backs next time we have a mission?" Ianto joked.

Jack laughed. "Just yours…and then I'll wait and jump you again when we are done." Then added. "…and for the record, those little alien beasties wanted to impregnate me, not eat me."

Ianto clicked the safety on and lowered his weapon; there was no way he could continue this evaluation, not with Jack in his current state of mind. He turned and faced Jack; their chest were touching, and he smiled.

"Well I think I am done now." He suggested.

Jack chuckled and took the Welshman into his arms; he went to kiss Ianto, but the other man beat him to the punch. The temperature rose several degrees as the two men tried out the various surfaces in the hub.


End file.
